Hey everyone! I'm really frustrated because my home internet has just stopped working for all my Ethernet-connected devices. It happened overnight, affecting both my PC and Xbox. When I run 'ipconfig' in CMD, I see an autoconfigured 169.[...] address, which makes me think that my router's DHCP isn't functioning properly. Interestingly, my phone and work laptop are connected to WiFi and they're still getting DHCP addresses without issues.
I've gone through various troubleshooting steps on my PC, but nothing has worked. I even tried connecting a different router that I had unplugged for a while, but still no luck. When I connect directly via Ethernet, my computer doesn't get an IP at all, but the router is getting a CGNAT IP when it's plugged in.
I reached out to my ISP for help, and now they've escalated it to the owners of the local network, but I firmly believe the problem lies somewhere else. It's hard to believe that both my computer and Xbox network cards would fail at the same time, or that both my Ethernet cables would suddenly break, or that both routers would stop working just like that. I have some IT experience and have been studying networking, but I'm really stumped. Any ideas or tips would be greatly appreciated!
2 Answers
Can you clarify your network structure a bit more? You mentioned "both your routers" and "owners of the local network." Do you have a main router that handles DHCP and NAT?
Did you have any storms or weird weather last night? Sometimes power fluctuations can mess with network devices. Just trying to rule out any environmental issues first!
Nope, the weather was mild, no storms at all.
I might not have been clear. The setup is simple: I have a router connected to a modem for incoming fiber. One Ethernet port runs to my PC and the other to the Xbox. When I say 'both routers', I mean my main TP-Link router that's been working for a few months and my backup Asus router, which was unplugged. Neither seems to be providing DHCP addresses at the moment.